On February 8th, the Dutch Center of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Care about IT was officially launched, in addition to the regional analysis being presented after several months of conducting interviews.
This event brought together partners from various sectors to discuss the outcomes of interviews conducted in collaboration with the Care and Technology Practorate (TZA, collaboration between Drenthe College, Noorderpoort and Alfa-college) and Dutch partners of the Care About IT program.
A total of 23 interviews were conducted:
- 8 in education (7 questionnaires),
- 9 in healthcare institutions (10 questionnaires),
- 6 in IT companies (8 questionnaires).
Sytske Valk from Katapult brought together the gathered information in a comprehensive summary, which was presented at the Health Hub in Roden, the Netherlands. The presentation facilitated discussions and allowed for further input via Mentimeter, enriching the findings with additional insights.
The results of this regional analysis, along with input gathered through Mentimeter, will form the basis of our forthcoming regional report.
Key insights
This week presents a final opportunity for stakeholders to contribute additional input. Following this, we will compile the regional report, highlighting the key insights and conclusions.
Reports
The regional report will undergo a feedback phase among partners before its finalization. Afterwards, it will be combined with reports from Estonia, Finland, and Italy to produce an international report. An international event in Estonia will mark the presentation of this report, with preparations underway in collaboration with Estonian partners.
The international report will outline focus areas for future efforts, particularly in addressing the challenge of integrating care and IT knowledge into education and industry and alleviating workforce shortages through technological solutions.
Next Steps
We are actively looking for partners to contribute case studies for our upcoming hackathons. Over the coming months, we will host a national (northern region) hackathon followed by an international hackathon in collaboration with our partners. Ideas and suggestions can be sent to careaboutit@noorderpoort.nl.
Additionally, we are embarking on the development of microcredentials in technology, a process guided by our Finnish partners. This initiative encompasses teacher training and exchanges. In addition, we are looking into the subject of recruitment within the evolving landscape of care and IT professions.
Official Launch CoVE
The meeting concluded with the official launch of the Care about IT CoVE. A CoVE is a Center of Vocational Excellence, fostering international collaboration between vocational education and industry to ensure that today’s talent is connected to the skills to solve tomorrow’s problems.
We aim to leverage and expand existing networks in the Netherlands, fostering stronger connections among education, care, and business sectors. We invite all interested parties to join us on this journey!
